# Best way to carry pipe tobacco



## Argon Swift (Mar 27, 2011)

What technique do you all recommend to carry your baccy without it getting dry? Assume, for example that you were going into the woods on horseback for months so weight is a consideration. I have tried flake (Macbaren scottish blend and navy flake, both real nice) and I know flake was designed because it reduces moisture loss, but it still gets real dry and brittle.

Argon Swift
wildwestninja.com


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## shannensmall (Jun 30, 2010)

For just a few days, a pouch made specifically for baccy. But it will eventually dry out in one of these. For longer than a week, leave it in the tin or use ziplock baggies. And then if you are talking months, you should look into getting those little round humidification disks sold at most online pipe baccy retailers.


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## Jack Straw (Nov 20, 2008)

I almost always use tins. If you are going bushwhacking for a while, I would transfer everything into round metal tins with the lid that screws down, or just bring blends that come in those kind of tins.


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## Argon Swift (Mar 27, 2011)

The disks seem like a good idea. I have a few of the ones shaped like a card.

How about any natural or do-it-yourself ideas? For example pieces of fruit or what not?
What did the sailors or the trappers do in the old days?

Argon Swift
wildwestninja.com


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## Eirik (May 7, 2010)

Sealed tins and pouches of course stays fresh for months and years. If you are talking bulk I see two possibilitys. Vacum sealded bags and or quality tins. I would get a cheap vinyl pouch aswell. The 100gr "paint cans" are good. If you have most of your baccy in sealed bags, you could transfer it to one or two tins (for storage) and a pouch for smoking. Some moisture buttons could allso come in handy. Or the wild west way, toilet paper, with clear mountain water wraped in tin foil. Of course how much you smoke and how many kinds of tobacco you want to bring plays a role. I think I would have been more than happy with one or two(maybe three since the horse is carrying).
Sounds like you're in for a great time!


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## Eirik (May 7, 2010)

Argon Swift said:


> The disks seem like a good idea. I have a few of the ones shaped like a card.
> 
> How about any natural or do-it-yourself ideas? For example pieces of fruit or what not?
> What did the sailors or the trappers do in the old days?
> ...


Fruit can cause mold. I've never heard about a trapper who has complained about anything as long as he got tobacco, ammo and his animals are doing fine. But as I said below water is a good thing. If you're into trapping and pipes I would recomend you bring along a book of Helge Ingstad (I'm not sure they're transelated though). He is a bit more down to earth than London(not a bad word about Jack!) and he smoked the pipe untill he became 102 or so.


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## FlimFlammery (Feb 25, 2011)

See if you can find some inner seal Wax Cans from someone willing to fill a smaller order. Most of those offering them online are wholesalers but you can contact them for information concerning smaller purchases.


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## shannensmall (Jun 30, 2010)

Before the advent of the flake, sailors would store their long term baccy in their rum barrels. I assume then would pull out portions they intended to smoke for the week and let it dry a bit. 

Flakes will last longer, but they will eventually dry out. Plugs on the other hand will last even longer as the inner core of baccy isn't exposed to the air. I guess you would just cut off the dry edges as you intend to smoke it.


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## CWL (Mar 25, 2010)

First of all, figure out how much tobacco you will be needing to carry. Take this quantity and separate into weekly or monthly portions. Bag each portion up into separate ziplock bags and put these into a larger ziplock baggie that so that you can roll this as tightly as possible. Use the higher quality ziplocks with heavier mil material rather than the cheaper stuff.

Unless you are in the desert, the bag you have open shouldn't dry out in one week. The remainder will remain double-bagged until you need to take the next one out. This will be the lightest method.

You can also look at backpacking gear. Those wide-mouth nalgene bottles will also serve as an airtight container.


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## DSturg369 (Apr 6, 2008)

I use zip-lock type freezer baggies and double bag or even an empty 100 gram tin with the screw top. Mostly however, I have a single pipe bag with a vinyl, moisture holding pouch for tobacco... Like this one...


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## ruralhipster (Jan 15, 2010)

Leave with a few days worth of ribbon cut in a ziploc, use that up first, then switch to flakes in 50 gr tins, dense flakes like Erinmore are awesome. Then the plugs like 3p's that are dense as all f^hk. You might want to experiment with your flakes, set them out for awhile and see which ones naturally dry the fastest. Right now I'm down to my last few flakes of erinmore from a tin that was opened 3 weeks ago, they are perfect, The IF and OGS dried up at about 10 days to 2 weeks.


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## Granger (Jul 24, 2010)

To echo some here I have been on extended trips. A month long camping put me away from civilization for weeks, and we used horses and pack animals. How I handled my smoking...

1) Cobs...I took a few cobs with me.
2) Matches...which you need anyway on a camping trip. Don't waste time on a lighter.
3) I figured out my daily smoking...and I kept the pipe in my mouth most waking hours. I figured out how much I needed and then broke it into portions and crammed bags as full and tight as I could and then vacuum sealed them.
4) I used a nice leather bag with a lining to hold all of my tobacco. It zipped up and kept the tobacco in the dark.

As I needed it I broke open a new bag and filled my pouch (the kind you can buy in a drugstore). I was a happy camper.


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## WWhermit (Nov 30, 2008)

Granger said:


> To echo some here I have been on extended trips. A month long camping put me away from civilization for weeks, and we used horses and pack animals. How I handled my smoking...
> 
> 1) Cobs...I took a few cobs with me.
> 2) Matches...which you need anyway on a camping trip. Don't waste time on a lighter.
> ...


This is what I was thinking. This man Granger knows his onions! To add just a bit, Foodsaver machines have the ability to seal up the baggies without fully vacuum sealing them. Leaving just a small amount of air would be better than totally taking all the air out. There are many studies and many more opinions on this. The bags that come with Foodsavers are a nice, thick plastic too. I normally don't recommend plastic for storing any tobacco, but since glass mason jars are not an option, I think this would be best.

Unless you can take tins! Today's tins way hardly anything, and would probably come close to equaling the weight of the bags and such. This would be my preferred method. Sealed tins last for years and years, as mentioned above. There are many good blends that come pre-tinned.

WWhermit
ipe:


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## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

When traveling, I keep it in tins.


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## timothy.ll (Nov 7, 2010)

On trips I just take tins (round, or square ones rubber-banded).

Because I only smoke a bowl or two a day, normally I just pack the pipe before leaving the house stick on a windcap and a pipe sock to keep tobacco/juices from messing about, and stick it in my pocket.


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## jader (Feb 22, 2011)

Off topic, but Argon Swift, I went to your website and you seem to have a very nice imagination. Good luck in your time travels


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## User Name (Feb 11, 2011)

In the old west, they didn't worry bout their tabacy drying out. They were happy just to have some. I'm guessing the best way to carry it would be in a Native American medicine pouch.


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## Eirik (May 7, 2010)

jader said:


> Off topic, but Argon Swift, I went to your website and you seem to have a very nice imagination. Good luck in your time travels


I second that, got only one thing to say: Awsome!

I think this vid I just posted in another tread might come in handy not for the month long trip, but the great voyage.

YouTube - How to make a Perique

PS.: I've got a white belt in Hung-Gar Kung-fu lying around somwhere. Give me a call and I could be your fun-loving comical sidekick.
(I have also been a boy-scout and can play the ukulele at the campfire.)


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## Argon Swift (Mar 27, 2011)

Thank for the great methods for keeping the baccy moist. As you said, the native Americans probably have a good supply of tobacco in almost every village. 

Eirik, there is always room for a little music around the campfire. 

Argon Swift
wildwestninja.com


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## Eirik (May 7, 2010)

Argon Swift said:


> Eirik, there is always room for a little music around the campfire.
> 
> Argon Swift
> wildwestninja.com


Great!
You should start getting into making corn cobs. That would make a nice tread here at puff. The thing is, back in the days I dont think they had pipecleaners. I guess they was used to sour pipes. But comming from a, in many ways more refined culture fresh pipes is a thing you learn to appreciate. Making cobs could come in handy. It could be good for trading aswell.


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## jader (Feb 22, 2011)

Eirik said:


> Great!
> in many ways more refined culture fresh pipes is a thing you learn to appreciate..


Kind of like frequent shows, deodorant (in most parts of the civilized world), and tooth brush/paste


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## Eirik (May 7, 2010)

jader said:


> Kind of like frequent shows, deodorant (in most parts of the civilized world), and tooth brush/paste


Out of topic or I guess not:

"Stuck on a desert island. Pipe and tobacco or toothbrush and toothpaste?"

This could be a new tread... How much do you realy enjoy your pipe???


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## User Name (Feb 11, 2011)

Eirik said:


> Out of topic or I guess not:
> 
> "Stuck on a desert island. Pipe and tobacco or toothbrush and toothpaste?"
> 
> This could be a new tread... How much do you realy enjoy your pipe???


I vote for cheeseburger and fries.


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## Eirik (May 7, 2010)

User Name said:


> I vote for cheeseburger and fries.


You can have that also!
But when you've finished eating, would you have a smoke or brush your theeth and straight to bed?


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## skydvejam (Feb 27, 2011)

I would have to vote on the smoke, but that is coming from someone who has spent a lot of time outdoors, and had to live without both for fairly long periods of time.
Let me tell you, a few weeks living on the road in a combat zone, you will not miss the tooth brush much, but forget your tobacco, that is unthinkable.


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## Blue Raccoon (Mar 13, 2011)

I can't post links but look at the wide mouth hard Nalgene bottles.. light, crush-proof, air-tight they work great for cigars and pipe tobacco.


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